The Ultimate Porsche Monterey Auction Preview

It’s that time of year again. The time where all of the most enthusiastic car guys make their annual pilgrimage to Monterey, California to the congregated celebrations of ‘car week’ on the coast. This year, those looking to pick up a ‘new’ old Porsche are in luck, as there are four (4) large auction houses looking to find new owners for a grand total of 79 Porsche cars. Everything from wild customs to vintage race cars will be on offer, plus a lot of other stuff in between. Additionally, I am hereby dubbing 2014 as the year of the long-hood 911. Between the four major auction houses, there are 22 total 1965-1973 911 lots for sale. If we don’t see some record high sales for these longhoods, especially the S and Carrera 2.7 RS models, I swear I’ll eat my own hat.

Gooding & Co.

The big story here isn’t what’s selling at Gooding, but what isn’t. The Gulf Porsche 917 from the 1971 Steve McQueen classic “Le Mans” has been pulled from the auction.

A Gooding & Co representative had this to say:

“The car has been withdrawn from the sale. Gooding & Company does not comment on property withdrawn from our auctions.”

We are currently attempting to source further details on why the car was withdrawn. As information becomes known, we’ll be sure to update.

With their mainstage headliner now a no-show, Gooding & Co. somehow still managed to assemble over a dozen excellent Porsche lots for collectors and enthusiasts to wage monetary war over.

Lot 030 – 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 RS (Est. $900,000 – 1,200,000)

Compared to 1973’s 2.7 Carrera RS production run of just over 1500 cars, 1974’s 3 liter version is a significantly rarer proposition. Only 110 cars total were built, and from that production run Porsche removed a few to build the IROC and RSR racers over in the Werks 1 building. There are few Porsche production runs that are quite that low, and hardly any of these ever come up for sale, especially not quite so stunning in this gold-on-white combination. A piece that is sure to stand out as special in any collection. Even if this were to be your only collectible Porsche, it would be a nice all-rounder, capable of street, track, or even rally driving.

As 2.7 RS models have already crested the million dollar mark, the 3.0 RS is following right along. Maybe it isn’t quite as iconic, lacking the ducktail of its older brother, but it’s quite the proposition all on its own, and should stand on merit in the collector car market, completely removed of the 2.7 version.

Lot 035 – 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort (Est. $900,000 – 1,100,000)

Any time a 959 comes up for sale, we are forced to drool a little bit over the photos that the auction houses supply. It is quite rare that a 959 isn’t well cared for, and this car is no exception. A three-owner car, this 959 has only traversed a total of about 4500 miles (8800 Kilometers), and has to be one of the most original cars available anywhere.

Interestingly, this car can not be sold to anyone who lives in California, wishes to use it in California, or hopes to resell it in California. That’s an oddball clause for a car that is being sold IN California. Doesn’t that severely limit the potential buyer pool?

Gooding has predicted that the car will sell somewhere in the area of a cool million dollars. It’s nice, but I’m not sure it’s as nice as the 959S that they sold earlier this spring.

Other Gooding & Co. Porsche Lots For Sale

Lot 005 – 1971 Porsche 911S 2.2L (Est. $175,000 – 225,000)

Lot 009 – 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster (Est. $350,000 – 450,000)

Lot 015 – 1994 Porsche 964 Speedster (Est. $200,000 – 250,000)

Lot 041 – 1973 Porsche 911S 2.4L (Est. $275,000 – 350,000)

Lot 057 – 1968 Porsche 911 T/R (Est. $400,000 – 600,000)

Lot 064 – 1965 Porsche 911 (Est. $450,00 – 550,000)

Lot 105 – 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster (Est. $350,000 – 450,000)

Lot 116 – 1959 Porsche 356A Super Coupe (Est. $120,000 – 150,000)

Lot 126 – 1968 Porsche 911L 2.0L (Est. $90,000 – 120,000)

Lot 132 – 1971 Porsche 911 ‘custom R/T’ (Est. $1l0 – 180,000)

Lot 135 – 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 (Est. $525,000 – 625,000)

Lot 153 – 1966 Porsche 911 2.0L (Est. $400,000 – 500,000)

Lot 156 – 1955 Porsche 356 Super Speedster (Est. $400,000 – 500,000)

See the complete Gooding & Co. Auction catalog here.

RM Auctions

Last year, RM Auctions rocked the house with a scad of vintage P-cars available, this year they’re looking to do the same, including:

Lot 127 – 1986 Porsche 962 IMSA GTP “Wynn’s/Hotchkis” (Est. $800,000 – 1,000,000)

Chassis 962-F01 by Fabcar

The Hotchkis Racing team (the same guys that make sport suspension componentry) ran this car from 1986 through 1993 in a professional capacity, competing in 33 events within that time. Since the car was retired from professional work, it has remained in the family, still trotted out to a few vintage racing events every now and then. The car received a full restoration in preparation for Rennsport Reunion 3 in 2007.

The car was purchased through Holbert Racing (Porsche Motorsport North America) and delivered to the 1986 Watkins Glen IMSA race for Hotchkis to run. The team (and the car) had its biggest success at the 1991 Daytona 24 hour race, where they finished third overall on the podium.

Whether the car will fetch the 7-figures that RM wants is yet to be seen. Last year, RM was tasked with the attempted sale of an equally nice Dyson Racing 962, but the best they could come up with was a bid of $650K, well short of the reserve. It’s hard to find a good 962 these days, let alone one being sold by the original owners. If you are looking for an excellent vintage racer with a beautiful livery, this 962 is for you.

Here is a video of this 962 running at Rennsport Reunion 4 back in 2011.

Other RM Auctions Porsche Lots For Sale

Lot 105 – 1961 Porsche 356B Cabriolet (Est. $140,000 – 180,000)

Lot 125 – 1955 Porsche 356 Continental Cabriolet (Est. $375,000 – 475,000)

Lot 128 – 1972 Porsche 911S 2.4L Targa (Est. $200,000 – 250,000)

Lot 223 – 1965 Porsche 911 2.0L (Est. $300,000 – 400,000)

Lot 250 – 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster (Est. $300,000 – 375,000)

Lot 257 – 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster (Est. $250,000 – 325,000)

See the complete RM Auctions catalog here.

Bonhams

Bonhams’ auction down at the Quail lodge has always been a favorite of the high-rollers. It’s generally a smaller and more intimate affair, but still brings in the best-of-the-best for sale in the car world. Last year, their Porsche lots weren’t quite worth shouting about, but this year they’ve made amends for that by bringing a veritable buffet of sweet P-cars to choose from. When you’ve got a 911 RSR, a pair of 2.7 RS, a trio of open-top 356s, and a couple 911S to choose from, it’s going to be a good show, but throw in a Martini-liveried 908/03, and you’ll have bidders falling over themselves to throw their money around.

Lot 234 – 1969 Porsche 908/03 Spyder (Est. $1,800,000 – 2,300,000)

Chassis 908/03-002 by Porsche Systems

This is the Porsche that I am most looking forward to seeing sell, by a good margin. The 908/03 has always been among my favorite racing cars, for its brutal simplicity and gorgeously unfettered bodywork. It is man and machine boiled down to its most useful form. Nothing unnecessary, only the bare minimum needed to win.

This car, chassis number 908/03-002, was built as a factory development chassis, only the second 908/03 Spyder constructed. For a year or so, that’s exactly what it was used for. Throughout its life, this chassis racked up kilometer after kilometer on Porsche’s Weissach test track, lap after lap on the skid pad, and even hundreds of kilometers on the street after being fitted with license plates for some impromptu Targa Florio testing. In 1971, however, it was drafted into motorsport service, and handed over to Gis Van Lennep and Helmut Marko for a one-off at the Nurburgring 1000 km race. In it, the pair managed to stand on the podium placing third in a Porsche 1-2-3 of 908/03s.

The car then went into storage and was later unearthed by the former curator of the Collier Collection, Mr. Dale Miller. Miller then became one of the foremost in 908 rebuilding and restoration, also commissioning several new 908 parts, including bodywork. In 1999, the car was purchased by collector Phil Daigrepont. Since its restoration, this car has been successfully campaigned in a number of vintage racing events, and is known by its competitors “if it starts the race, it wins the race”.

Lot 307 – 1958 Porsche 356A Coupe Prepared for La Carrera Panamericana Rally (Est. $35,000 – 45,000)

What’s the point in spending a little money on a collector car if you can’t have some fun with it? Of the entire bunch, this little 356 Coupe packs the best bang-for-the-buck in terms of all-around fun. This car is prepared from the ground up to run in open-road rally events, namely the Carrera Panamerica in Mexico, where it ran in 2001, 2005, and 2007.

The car was prepared by Ray Stephens in 2001 for the express purpose of running it in the Carrera, and has been in his care since. It is built with modern safety in mind with a roll cage, and fire suppression system. It is powered by a 912 engine that has been punched out to 1,715cc, estimates put the horsepower somewhere around 135bhp and can reliably produce a top speed somewhere in the region of 125mph. Importantly, this car comes titled in California, which allows it to be street registered. This car can enter any number of Porsche events, as well as some vintage races, and would be welcome at any local track day. Get out and drive something fun!

Other Bonhams Porsche Lots For Sale

Lot 238 – 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7L (Est. $800,000 – 1,000,000)

Lot 241 – 1959 Porsche 356A Cabriolet (Est. $175,000 – 225,000)

Lot 246 – 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0L (Est. $1,100,000 – 1,400,000)

Lot 253 – 1973 Porsche 911S 2.4L (Est. $150,000 – 180,000)

Lot 259 – 1960 Porsche 356B Super 90 Cabriolet (Est. $90,000 – 120,000)

Lot 294 – 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7L (Est. $475,000 – 600,000)

Lot 296 – 1970 Porsche 911S 2.2L (Est. $175,000 – 225,000)

Lot 306 – 1964 Porsche 356C Cabriolet (Est. $130,000 – 160,000)

See the complete Bonhams auction catalog here.

Mecum Auctions

Like Bonhams, the Mecum Monterey auction has really stepped up its Porsche game this year, bringing some pretty heavy hitters to the table. When you think high-end auction houses for extremely rare Porsches, Mecum isn’t the first one your brain jumps to. It’s nothing against them, it’s just the truth. By the looks of things, though, they are trying to change that in a big way. Last year, they were responsible for a multi-million dollar 550 Spyder sale. This year, they’re coming back with even more great lots, including a Daytona 24 winner, a pair of 935s, a handful of Speedsters, two Carrera RS 2.7s, and a bundle of 930s (including my personal favorite, a 1989 ‘G50’ 5-speed Turbo Cabriolet).

Lot S146 – 1995 Porsche 962 Kremer K8 Spyder (Est. $900,000 – 1,500,000)

The Kremer brothers have always been an industrious bunch. Somehow they, time and time again, manage to take an aging chassis, update the bodywork and the engine, and turn it into something competitive again. After Porsche had already given up on the 962 chassis as being competitive, and built a brand new WSR chassis with the help of Tom Walkinshaw’s group, Kremer Racing just cut the roof off of a 962 and kept racing it. Just a handful of days before the 1995 Rolex 24 hours, IMSA changed the rule set, placing engine restrictions on turbocharged engines, and adding weight to the cars with forced induction. A double-hit of down-on-power and up-on-weight, the Kremer brothers were starting the race on the back foot to their competition from the Ferrari 333SPs. The car qualified 17th on the grid at the big twice-round-the-clock race, and their prospects of a win didn’t look good.

Luckily for them, Porsche engines have always been reliable, even when they are forced to run low on power. Their home-built Kremer K8 962-based chassis was a well known commodity, and performed flawlessly. Aside from one small spin which required pitting for a new nosecone section, the Kremer Porsche performed flawlessly. The Ferrari competition, however, wasn’t so lucky, as all of the major competition tumbled down the standings with engine problems and on-track incidents. The K8 just kept pounding out slow laps, until they managed to bring it home after 24 hours more than 5 laps in the lead.

I saw this car in person at the 2012 Daytona 24 hours, when it ran on track in the “24 minutes of Daytona” event for previous winners. It’s a real-deal race winner, and could be an excellent collector piece for someone. Daytona winners seem to be selling quite well recently, as the 1968 winning 907 sold for 3.36 million at Gooding’s Amelia Island sale. You won’t find a better Porsche racing car for the money, of that I can almost guarantee.

Lot S174 – 1976 Porsche 934/935 IMSA ‘El Salvador’ (Est. $750,000 – 850,000)

The most interesting thing about this car is that it was a ‘no-sale’ lot at last year’s RM Auctions Monterey sale. It would appear that the owner has held onto the car for another year in hopes that he can sell it at the Monterey auctions, but this time around chose Mecum to sell the car instead of returning to RM. Last year, the bidding fell flat at only $525,000, well short of the estimate, and the reserve.

Originally built as a 934, this car is rumored to have been delivered to the George Loos racing team in Europe (GELO).  Chassis 930-670-0171 was later converted to 935 specification, currently running a twin turbo 3.2 liter engine producing near 760 horsepower.  A veteran of more than 40 international GT events, this car competed at Le Mans twice in 1976 and 1977.  A recent restoration has returned the car to its 1981 Daytona 24 configuration.

Lot F138 – 1992 Porsche 964 Turbo S2 (Est. $90,000 – 120,000)

Remember earlier in this post where I mentioned 110 of a certain model being extremely and excitingly rare? Yeah, well this one is even rarer, more than five times rarer. Only twenty of these 964 Turbo S2 were ever built, and I have read elsewhere that one of them was recently destroyed in a motoring accident, making this now one-of-19. Why are there so few? Well, the S2 was originally developed as an options-package for competition use in IMSA’s Carrera Cup series. The upgrades were done to an existing 964 Turbo by Porsche’s North American engine-builder partner Andial in Santa Ana, California.

The upgrades package included more aggressive camshafts, a larger K27 turbocharger, a larger and more efficient intercooler, and lots of other hardware to support the increase in power. The package of upgrades was not cheap, as Porsche/Andial charged $10,065. In return for your hard earned 1992 cash, Porsche advertised 322 HP at 6,200 RPM and 354 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 RPM. The reality, though, is that the engine would turn the dyno rollers closer to the tune of a healthy four-hundred ponies. The standard 964 Turbo is already a little bit bonkers, offering gobs of power to the rear wheels, so I can only imagine what its like to drive this beast.

This well-documented 1992 964 Turbo S2 wears its original Black paint and features a Cashmer and Black interior with supple leather seats, a power sunroof, automatic climate control, power windows and locks and 5-speed manual transmission with limited-slip differential. For collectors who prefer an extra dose of power and performance, this two-owner car could just be the ultimate 964.

 

Other Mecum Auctions Porsche Lots For Sale

Lot T70 – 2004 Porsche Cayenne S

Lot T77 – 1977 Porsche 911 Custom “Slant Nose with 350ci V8”

Lot T93 – 1956 Porsche Speedster Replica

Lot T148 – 1976 Porsche 914 2.0L

Lot T154 – 1954 Porsche Speedster Replica

Lot T175 – 1956 Porsche Speedster Replica

Lot F61.1 – 2000 Porsche 996 Carrera 2 Cabriolet

Lot F72.1 – 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3L ‘930’

Lot F92 – 2003 Porsche 911 Turbo ‘996’

Lot F93 – 1973 Porsche 911E Targa

Lot F133 – 1975 Porsche 911 Carrera

Lot F149 – 1960 Porsche 108L Junior Diesel Tractor (Est. $20,000 – 30,000)

Lot F150 – 1964 Porsche 356SC Cabriolet (Est. $175,000 – 200,000)

Lot F158 – 1963 Porsche 356B Cabriolet (Est. $160,000 – 200,000)

Lot F163 – 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera (Est. $125,000 – $150,000)

Lot S59 – 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3L Cabriolet ‘930’

Lot S71.1 – 1997 Porsche 993 Carrera 4S

Lot S92 – 1972 Porsche 911T 2.4L Targa

Lot S93 – 1968 Porsche 911 2.0L Soft Window Targa

Lot S95 – 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3L ‘930’

Lot S107 – 1967 Porsche 912 (Est. $40,000 – 55,000)

Lot S121 – 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3L ‘930’ (Est. $100,000 – 125,000)

Lot S134 – 1959 Porsche 356A Super Cabriolet (Est. $200,000 – 275,000)

Lot S148 – 1964 Porsche 356C Coupe (Est. $125,000 – 150,000)

Lot S149 – 1960 Porsche 356B Super Roadster (Est. $175,000 – 250,000)

Lot S150 – 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster (Est. $450,000 – 550,000)

Lot S151 – 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster (Est. $250,000 – 325,000)

Lot S153 – 1960 Porsche 356B Cabriolet (Est. $175,000 – 200,000)

Lot S155 – 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7L Touring (Est. $550,000 – 650,000)

Lot 160 – 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 Sunroof Coupe (Est. $650,000 – 750,000)

Lot S163 – 1971 Porsche 911S 2.2L Coupe (Est. $175,000 – 250,000)

Lot S167 – 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7L Touring (Est. $550,000 – 650,000)

Lot S175 – 1977 Porsche 934.5/935 IMSA ‘Swap Shop’ (Est. $700,000 – 800,000)

Lot S176 – 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster (Est. $350,000 – 400,000)

Lot S182 – 1964 Porsche 356C Carrera 2 Coupe (Est. $650,000 – 750,000)

Lot S190 – 1973 Porsche 911S 2.4 ‘sonderwünsch’ (Est. $400,000 – 450,000)

Lot S192 – 1953 Porsche 356 Cabriolet (Est. $350,000 – 450,000)

Lot S198 – 1957 Porsche 356A Coupe (Est. $75,000 – 100,000)

Lot S199 – 1997 Porsche 993 Turbo

Lot S200 – 1973 Porsche 911T Coupe (Est. $125,000 – 150,000)

Lot S201 – 1974 Porsche 911 RSR Turbo ‘clone’ (Est. $200,000 – 250,000)

Lot S202 – 1970 Porsche 911T Coupe (Est. $65,000 – 80,000)

Lot S203 – 1967 Porsche 912 (Est. $40,000 – 60,000)

Lot S211 – 1981 Ruf Turbo Cabriolet (Est. $170,000 – 250,000)

Lot S219 – 1971 Porsche 911S 2.2L Targa (Est. $175,000 – 250,000)

See the complete Mecum Auctions catalog here.

Other Porsche Blog Posts You Will Enjoy
Are You The Future Owner Of This Porsche 993 3.8 RSR?
Here’s Why We Think Porsche Purchased Kyalami, An Historic South African Grand Prix Circuit
Our Favorite Porsches On Ebay For The Week Of July 23rd, 2014
Sacramento Shop Burns, Destroying World’s Most Original 911 RSR